Joe Earle, Director of the Japan Society Gallery, Will Retire

After serving as director of the Japan Society Gallery for four years, Joe Earle announced today that he is retiring. Mr. Earle, who was previously chair of the department of the art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, will leave his position on Sept. 28, 2012.

Motoatsu Sakurai, the president of the Japan Society, lauded Mr. Early in a statement:

“Joe’s achievements over the last four years have been extraordinary. … Despite unprecedented financial challenges in the United States and Japan and reductions in staff and financial resources, he has sustained the gallery’s reputation as one of America’s leading centers for the study and appreciation of Japanese art.”

Mr. Earle’s curatorial work included organizing “KRAZY! The Delirious World of Anime + Manga + Video Games” (2009), which was the second-most-popular show in the 40-year history of the gallery.